DRA releases IRT video

CLARKSDALE — The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has released its video of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, which was recently implemented in the DRA region.

In July 2009, the DRA partnered with the Department of Defense for the IRT. The program gives the military the ability to train its medical personnel by providing medical care in rural, underserved areas.

The communities of Clarksdale and Hayneville, Ala., were the two projects in the DRA region selected by the Pentagon for the 2009 IRT program. For two weeks, Army Reserve units lived in these communities and provided free medical assistance to citizens who were in need of medical care.

“We were very excited to work with the Pentagon on these two projects, and we think the release of this video will provide another example of DRA being a coordinator of federal programs into the region,” said DRA federal co-chairman Pete Johnson. “This program provides medical service to communities in need and provides training for our military for their work overseas. It is a win-win for everyone involved.”

In Clarksdale, 792 patients were provided dental and vision exams, which included distributing 152 eye glasses to adults and children. Veterinarian services treated over 450 dogs and cats from the local animal shelter. In Hayneville, there were 850 patients including 90 children seen for primary care issues with over 400 pharmacy prescriptions.

The DRA’s role was to assist in the coordination of these projects from the application and planning stages to the project implementation between the communities and the military. Additionally, DRA is on the advisory board of the IRT program.